Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-02
EMMA ABBOTT.
The Charming Prima Donna Talks about
Her Escapads.

The Charming PrlmR Donna Talks 2Dout
Her Escapads.
Kansas City Journal.
"You'll f1ud Miss Abbott in her old
room, II, sky parlor."
So said the elevator boy last night.
It seemed scarcely possible that year
had elapsed since, in the same room, Miss
Abbott had been talked to. She was
looking extremely well last night; is
some fifteen pounds lighter, but il other
respects younger, brighter and, if posi-
BILE, iollier than ever.
"You want, of course" she said, "to
talk about my church escapade, which it
seems is stirring up terrible muss in
the Methodist meetings. didn't know
about the sermon beforehand"
SIT is customary with me to go to
church somewhere, whenever We have q
Sunday in town, which is rare, don't you
see? As I went out of the Maxwell
house asked the porter to direct me to
the nearest church, and, following his di-
rection, went to one of the Methodist
persuasion, which was right next to the
new theater which had opened the week
previous. am member Of the Congre-
national church, and am fond of dropping
in anywhere, il the service is. simple, and
Joining IN with the singing.
"As 1t happened, don't know whether
by luck or Providence, that dreadful
sermon was preached. Well, can tell
you it was not printed as it was deliy-
cred, for the editor OF the Nashville
American told me the minister went care
fully over the stenogrspher's report, Get
ting out many Of the offensive radical
sentences before 1t appeared in print. Il
was, | can assure you, the most Offenslxa
of attacks against the stage-somethtHg
the man evidently knew nothing sbuAt !;
further. he hurled his abuse direcs1y g
me and made sweeping assertions about
the general immortality of the women VINO
followed my profession, and the vicious
ness Of ali plays and opcTas. He said:
Look at this woman who last wee K played
in this theater,' jerking his thumb toward
the building, sand church members paid
$l.50 to go see her get down on her knees
and offer up mock prayer
"My first impulse after he began was
to rise quietly and go out. Then I
thought perhaps there might be some
there who would recognize me and think
I wes guilty. So waited uatil he was
through and had taken mp his hymn book.
Then I arose and said about this:
"One moment. I, Emms Abbott,
have been on the stage since was eight
years old. have always tried to live an
upright life, aud l cannot sit here and
listen to such base and groundless asser-
tions without raising my voice. There
are bad people on the stage just as there
are bad ministers in the pulpit, but this
does not prove, in each case, entire
corruption. Then I spoke of Charlotte
Cushman, Parepa R >sa, jenny Lind and
other great women, who lived lives Of
charity and goodness. defed anyone to
say anything against my character, and
sat down amid applause. The truth was,
touched the hesrt of the people, so that
they forgot convention and place. The
sermon was nothing more nor less than q
violent attack, and referred directly to
me. Does anybody suppose was going
to sit still and be called vicious and IN
chaste?
"Weu, stayed through the service and
joined in the concluding hymn. Since
then I have received innumerable dis
patches and letters from all manner OF
public people, many of them ministers,
indorsirg my conduct. Think Of the
dear old Bohemian girl being vicious"
aud here Miss Abbott laughed heartily.